Artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) based smart elderly care in Beijing China faces challenges and requires policy solutions

Key findings from this study

This research indicates that:

• Five distinct barriers impede AIoT adoption in elderly care: systemic fragmentation, service-need misalignment, low older adult technology adoption, professional caregiver shortages, and unsustainable subsidy dependency.
• Policies must simultaneously address technical standardization, service customization, financial mechanisms, community capacity, and workforce professionalization rather than prioritizing individual interventions.
• Digital literacy and trust represent significant adoption obstacles among older adults that require targeted inclusion programs alongside technology deployment.

Overview

This qualitative study examines barriers to implementing Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) technology in elderly care services across Beijing, China. Grounded in socio-technical systems theory, UTAUT, and welfare pluralism theory, the research synthesizes perspectives from multiple stakeholders. The study identifies five critical obstacles and proposes an integrated policy framework to support adoption.

Methods and approach

Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and field observations in Beijing's Xicheng District, selected for its high aging population and established smart elderly care initiatives. The qualitative design captured stakeholder perspectives across the elderly care ecosystem.

Results

The analysis revealed five major implementation barriers: systemic fragmentation lacking unified standards, misalignment between service supply and elderly demand, low technology adoption due to digital literacy gaps and trust deficits, severe shortage of interdisciplinary professional caregivers, and excessive dependence on government subsidies with minimal market participation.

The study proposes a comprehensive policy framework addressing these challenges through standardization of AIoT systems, service customization to elderly needs, increased financial investment, community empowerment, digital inclusion initiatives for older adults, and workforce professionalization. The framework emphasizes coordinated multi-stakeholder engagement as essential for sustainable implementation.

Findings underscore that technological deployment alone proves insufficient without addressing organizational, social, and economic infrastructure simultaneously. Policy solutions must balance technological advancement with accessibility, affordability, and quality care delivery.

Implications

Policymakers in aging societies confronting similar implementation challenges can leverage this framework to guide systematic AIoT adoption. The research demonstrates that effective deployment requires simultaneous intervention across technical, organizational, financial, and human resource domains rather than isolated technology investment.

For healthcare systems planning elderly care infrastructure, the study indicates that standardization and interoperability must precede or accompany technology rollout. Digital literacy programs targeting older adults become prerequisite rather than optional components of implementation strategy.

The workforce professionalization recommendation signals critical skills gaps in emerging elderly care sectors. Investment in interdisciplinary training programs combining gerontology, technology, and caregiving represents a prerequisite for sustainable service delivery at scale.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.